The invention relates generally to power-driven conveyor belts and, more particularly, to modular conveyor belts having article-supporting rollers arranged to rotate on axes in the direction of belt travel.
Roller belts having article-supporting rollers arranged to rotate freely on axes in the direction of belt travel are often used to convey articles, especially high-friction articles such as tires. The freely rotatable rollers make it easy to slide articles onto and off the belt from the sides. Modular roller-top conveyor belts constructed of rows of roller-top belt modules connected in series at hinge joints are used in many conveying applications. In these belts, the rollers are arranged at the top sides of the belt rows between the hinge joints, forming a gap in the roller arrangement along each hinge joint. Small articles or articles presenting a base with small dimensions to the supporting rollers can get caught in the gap. Unlike cured tires, which present an entire sidewall as a base to a conveyor belt, uncured, or “green,” tires present only a narrow circular bead as a base to a conveyor belt. The narrow bead can get caught in the roller gap at the hinge joints of conventional roller-top belts.